Tim Cook visited ZJU.
By Jin Yingying
On Mar 26, the 10th annual China College Computer Competition – Mobile Application Innovation Contest officially opened at Zhejiang University’s Zijingang Campus. The opening ceremony featured a special appearance by Apple CEO Tim Cook.
During the event, Apple announced a generous donation of 30 million yuan (approximately $4.1 million) to Zhejiang University, reaffirming its commitment to nurturing the next generation of developers in China. This contribution further solidifies Apple’s decade-long partnership with the contest and underscores Apple’s continued focus on education throughout the Greater China region.
“We believe coding is a powerful tool that empowers people to create, communicate, and solve problems in entirely new ways,” Cook said in a statement.
Apple also announced plans to launch the Apple Mobile Application Incubation Fund in partnership with Zhejiang University. The fund will offer cutting-edge technical training in app development, product design, marketing, and business operations. It will offer students opportunities through workshops, internships, and mentorship, helping connect student developers with industry leaders and investors. The initiative aims to provide commercial training and empower students to succeed in the growing iOS app economy.
After the event, Tim Cook visited the headquarters of Mediastorm, a prominent content creator on Bilibili’s tech channel. Recognized as one of the “Top 100 Creators” for five consecutive years, Mediastorm has gained over 30 million followers across multiple platforms. Founded in 2018 at the Liangzhu Mengqi Town Design Center in Yuhang district, the company now employs over 100 people and has become an industry benchmark.
Cook also met with the popular content creator “He Tong Xue”. He was shown a flower intricately crafted from memory metal, and the two enjoyed afternoon tea by West Lake.
Later that day, Cook attended the launch of a new game version with NetEase CEO Ding Lei. There, he explored the game’s new features and tested the new iPad’s hardware-based ray tracing.
Tim Cook’s visit drew attention from media outlets. MacDaily described Hangzhou as “China’s AI hub”, while Bloomberg News commented, “Apple’s donation and Cook’s visit come as the company navigates a challenging landscape in China, its largest manufacturing base and a key sales market.”